Oh god, please tell me that's NOT the DOM

LittlePeanut

New member
A friend has her child in a home DC and something happened and he had to be dropped off with me. My friend is relatively car seat conscious (Her 18 m/o is RF and she plans to keep him RF to 2 y/o). She has Radians and is pretty good at getting them installed properly and knows the rules.

Her DCP is not so, ummm, aware. Sigh. It was pretty bad. When he arrived today. He was RF and things I noticed off hand were:
  • straps were significantly ABOVE his shoulders
  • straps were twisted so horribly that they appeared to be 1/2" wide
  • the straps were much too loose
  • the angle was likely more upright than 30*
  • it was a seatbelt install and the belt was NOT locked

I'm not certain, but suspect it's expired too. I need help deciphering the code. The manual and several stickers are missing so I can't find a DOM or model number. It's an AO seat and has one of those round/dial stamps imprinted in the plastic of the removable base. It's pointing at the 12 and has (OMG please tell me it's not what I think it is...) a 99 in the middle of the dial. There is a 01 and an "N" about an inch away from the dial. If it helps, it's a 35 lb RF model.

Am I right that this a DEC 1999 DOM? I think my friend would sooner bury her head in the sand and pray that the DCP doesn't travel with him in the vehicle. If so, it doesn't matter if it's a 6 or 8 year expiry because either way, it's horribly expired.

What would you do? I will tell my friend but her DC is only in this woman's care for the next 3 weeks and then he's going to another institutional DC so she's unlikely to want to spend the money on a seat. If I wasn't concerned about what this woman might do to MY seats, I'd find a way to loan her one for the time. But if I did that, I would need to consider it crashed.

HELP!! ASAP as I may need to go out with them to pick up my other child in 2 hours!!
 
ADS

christineka

New member
It sounds horribly expired. The best thing you can do if you don't have an appropriate spare seat, is to fix the expired one and use it correctly. We have to do that at car seat checks when we don't have car seats to give away.
 

LittlePeanut

New member
So I am reading that stamp correctly? :eek:

I have just made arrangements that allow me to remain home with the kids. I just can't put him in a 12 year old seat! So how should I approach this? I have the DCP's cell phone number and I'm certain I could message her via my friend's FB profile. Would you offer to teach her the basics? She will still be running the daycare and several children will be trusted in her care.

Do I just talk to my friend about the issues, knowing she's unlikely to say anything to the DCP? I just don't know how to deal with this. The idea that she is transporting ANY child in this manner is frightening to me.
 

christineka

New member
I would contact the dcp, explain that I'm a cpst, the seat and such that dc child was in was expired and used incorrectly, then offer to set up a time when you can come and teach her how to transport her dc children safely.
 

Pixels

New member
The round dials are mold dates, not DOM, but they're usually within a year or less of the actual DOM. So while it may not have actually been manufactured in 12/1999, it is likely super expired.

Does the seat have "Do not use after ..." embossed in the plastic on the back of the shell? Sometimes I miss those when I'm busy looking for stickers.
 

LittlePeanut

New member
The round dials are mold dates, not DOM, but they're usually within a year or less of the actual DOM. So while it may not have actually been manufactured in 12/1999, it is likely super expired.

Does the seat have "Do not use after ..." embossed in the plastic on the back of the shell? Sometimes I miss those when I'm busy looking for stickers.

I searched. I hoped. I did not fine one. Shy of removing the entire cover, I could not locate any other dates or embossing. Actually, the stamp is on the base and I saw NOTHING on the shell itself. I will look again, but I'm nearly certain there is not one.
 

HONEYhas3

CPST Instructor
So it Rf to 35 and FF to 40 or 50?

There was a time quite a while ago where those seats were RF to 35lbs (FF 40lbs), but all those seat would be expired by now.
 

LittlePeanut

New member
Yup, RF to 35 lbs and FF to 40 lbs then booster until 80 lbs. I just noticed that it's also missing the TT, not that it matters since I'm hoping it will soon be disposed of due to the expiry.

Oh and the sticker shows an image of the shield style harness. It's not one but that's the style depicted. :confused:
 

canadiangie

New member
Yup, RF to 35 lbs and FF to 40 lbs then booster until 80 lbs. I just noticed that it's also missing the TT, not that it matters since I'm hoping it will soon be disposed of due to the expiry.

Oh and the sticker shows an image of the shield style harness. It's not one but that's the style depicted. :confused:


Oh neato. Do you have the actual seat in front of you?
 

LittlePeanut

New member
Oh and I told my friend. She was horrified and royally pissed! She knew the harness twisting and looseness was an issue but she had no idea it was this bad. She has emailed the DCP with her concerns and has insisted that she (my friend) will be providing a safe, non-expired seat for her son to ride in and she will be installing it herself tomorrow.

After this is dealt with, I plan on offering my services to teach her how to install seats to safely transport any child in her care. I'm not sure she'll accept though since I know she drives with her nearly 6 year old in the front seat of her vehicle with no booster (not sure if the airbags can be deactivated) on occasion for "quick trips".
 

skitle1802

New member
Does the crotch buckle have a push down button or a push in button?
I had one from 2001, it was Aaron (light blue and navy velour) Oh and the buckle tongues puzzled together! I hated that!
 

LittlePeanut

New member
Does the crotch buckle have a push down button or a push in button?
I had one from 2001, it was Aaron (light blue and navy velour) Oh and the buckle tongues puzzled together! I hated that!

It's a push in button. The buckle tongues don't puzzle. It's a navy blue velour with stripes.

I'll have to get a few pics of it tomorrow during daylight.
 

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